Storms are a part of life and growth

Our first snowstorm arrived yesterday but is melting away fairly quickly this morning. We loved watching the big snowflakes, but had to moderate our driving to the lack of visibility and slick pavement. Another storm of sorts has arrived in our household. Have any of you had to take away a car from a teenager? Fireworks! No, warfare results! Our daughter's grades had fallen dramatically and she was not always obeying the family curfew, so the boundaries got tightened to her dismay. Now the relative shalom/peace of our home has been exchanged for a familiar battleground of wills, tempers, negotiations... It's back to taxiing our daughter to school because she won't budge out of bed to get to the bus in time. It's teaching through consequences that you don't always get your own way in this world, even if you are doing "OK" in the biggies like staying away from alcohol and drugs and illicit sex. More is expected in the areas of responsibility and authorities - to include parents - are to be respected and obeyed. Sound familiar to you? It's become a decade's theme for us. Thankfully, we have the best Father around to turn to for encouragement and wisdom. He assures us that it is worth it to hang in there and teach the proper values.